Amazing Grace
by caseymac42
Summary: Volunteering at a nursing home offers Johnny some new life experiences.
1. Chapter 1

**Amazing Grace**

After roll call and checking their supplies and equipment, Roy and Johnny were on their way to their first assignment of the day, a fire safety presentation to the staff of Palm Gardens Health Care Center.

While waiting at a red light, Roy glanced over at his partner. Johnny was looking out his window and wore a big grin, which Roy was not quite sure why.

"Johnny?" Roy called out.

Turning to look at his partner, Johnny continued to smile.

"Yeah?"

"You DO know where we are going, don't you?"

"Of course I do. We're going to that nursing home over on Glenwood. I know exactly where we're going…that's why I am…uh…feeling happy."

"Happy?" Roy asked, as the traffic light turned green, and he resumed driving.

"Well, yeah. I figure there'll be lots of nurses there…and I haven't met them yet. Why shouldn't I be happy?"

Roy didn't say anything…how could he argue with that kind of logic?

The rest of the short trip was made quietly, as Roy thought about the assignment at hand, while Johnny daydreamed about meeting a new batch of nurses.

Turning into the parking lot at Palm Gardens, the two paramedics took notice of the beautiful building.

The building was a rather large two story pale yellow Mediterranean inspired structure. There were several arches and columns that seemed to wrap around the entire front and sides of the building. The landscaping was beautifully done, lined with many large palm trees, and even had a small pond complete with a running waterfall.

"Would you look at that, Roy? I don't remember any nursing homes ever looking quite this beautiful before."

"I don't either."

Pulling into a parking spot and parking, the two paramedics got out of the squad, and pulled out two of their fire extinguishers and a blanket.

As they made their way to the front entrance, they were both admiring the beauty of the building and its grounds.

"A fish pond, Roy…I believe those are called koi. Look at those amazing colors."

Roy nodded his head. "They are beautiful. I've only seen pictures of them."

Taking a quick glance at his watch, Johnny smiled. "We're right on time. What's the man's name that we're supposed to meet?"

"Mr. Conway. He's the administrator of the facility."

Arriving at the main entrance of the magnificent building, the two paramedics were met by a big archway, and two large white columns…and a set of large automatic glass doors.

Going through the doors, they were warmly greeted by a tall handsome man who looked to be about in his fifties. He had short dark hair and wore a grey suit and blue tie.

"Mr. Conway?" Roy guessed.

Holding out his hand, the man shook both paramedics' hand.

"I sure am. And please…it's Patrick."

"Roy DeSoto." Roy smiled.

"John Gage. You have a beautiful place here, Patrick."

"Thank you. It's only about two years old…state of the art." said the man smiling in appreciation of the compliment. "We have about twenty minutes before you fellas have to start. I'd like to talk to you briefly before though, if you don't mind."

"Lead the way." offered Johnny.

Following the gentleman past the reception area, the two paramedics continued to be mesmerized by the décor of the building.

"Right this way."

Arriving at a large office, Patrick stood off to the side of the doorway, as he motioned for Roy and Johnny to enter.

"Please sit down. Something to drink? Coffee or water?"

"We're fine, Patrick. So what exactly do you want to talk about?" Roy asked curiously, as both he and Johnny took their seats on the oversized leather couch in the office.

"I wanted to tell you the reason why I wanted to do this. While we do have our monthly fire drills here, I wanted a more in-depth presentation of what to do if there was a real emergency. I have a good friend who is an administrator at a similar type facility in Arizona. He had a bad fire there a few weeks ago…from what I understand it was a bad scene. Hearing that, it scared me. I want to make sure that my staff knows…REALLY knows what to do. While of course we would call the fire department right away, I'd like to go over the things that we could all do immediately while waiting for your arrival. I contacted Chief Houts and he gave me your names. He mentioned something about your starring turn on the Tom Jensen show."

Exchanging a quick look, the two paramedics silently chuckled.

"Well, it is our pleasure to be here."

"Thank you, John."

Talking for another few more minutes, Mr. Conway then led the two of them to the big meeting area where their presentation would take place.

While they were being introduced to both the Maintenance Director and the Director of Nursing, Johnny's eyes wandered the room, settling on a very pretty brunette in the corner.

"Roy…John, this is Craig Scott…our Maintenance Director…and Tracy McGrath, our Nursing Director."

Shaking hands with both directors, the paramedics continued to be impressed by Mr. Conway's entire operation.

"Well…I guess we better get started, gentlemen. I'm sure you're very busy."

Roy and Johnny took their places at the front of the room, and waited as Mr. Conway introduced them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, first I am glad that you are all here for this presentation. I know you will find it both interesting and informative. These two men are firefighter/ paramedics from the L.A. County Fire Department. Please welcome Roy DeSoto and John Gage…gentlemen."

Nodding in appreciation, the two of them waited for the applause to die down before starting.

They started talking about their duties as a firefighter and as a paramedic, then proceeded to get into the meat of their presentation…fire safety, including demonstrations on how to properly use a fire extinguisher.

After almost forty minutes, they were finished.

They fielded a few questions, and then were invited for some light refreshments.

As they mingled with some of the staff members, Johnny asked Craig about the attractive brunette that he had had his eye on.

Pulling him off to the side, Johnny spoke very softly.

"Craig, mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead, John."

Motioning with his head in the direction of the mystery girl, Johnny asked his question.

"That pretty brunette in the corner…what's her name?"

Looking at who Johnny was motioning to, Craig smiled.

"Oh…that's Stephanie. She's the Recreation Director here. Would you like to meet her?"

Repeating the question, Johnny grinned. "Would I like to meet her? Just tell me one thing…is she…"

"Single?" Craig offered.

"Yeah…single."

"Yep… she's single. Come on and I'll introduce you to her."

Putting his cup of coffee down on a nearby table, Johnny followed Craig to where Stephanie was standing.

Softly tapping her shoulder, Craig got Stephanie's attention.

"Steph, this is…"

"John Gage." The young woman answered with a smile. "I WAS paying attention, Craig. Mr. Gage, it's nice to meet you."

"Please, it's John." Johnny replied with a grin of his own.

Giving Johnny a quick wink, Craig was off to talk to someone else.

"So…I hear you're the Recreation Director. You must have an interesting job."

"I do…it's definitely never boring. Planning and running the various programs here for the residents, is a lot of work, but I really enjoy it. How about you, John? Being a firefighter/paramedic must be quite exciting."

"It is." Johnny replied with a smile. "And like your job…never boring. Say, I was kind of wondering…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Stephanie looked at her watch.

"I'm sorry, John. I really need to get going. I have to get ready for our morning discussion group."

Looking at her curiously, Johnny asked, "What's this morning's topic?"

"Sex."

Hearing her response, Johnny nearly started to choke. "Sex?"

Grinning, she let him off the hook. "Well…sex in the media and what not. How today's standards differ from those of their generation's back in their day. We actually have several very outspoken folks here. If you'd ever like to volunteer here…come see me. You have the number…call me. Thank you for a wonderful presentation, John. I hope to hear from you soon."

Walking away, Stephanie left Johnny to ponder a few things.

Noting the time on his watch, Roy knew that the two of them needed to get going and put themselves back in service.

"Patrick, thank you for your hospitality. Your staff is wonderful. I believe that your residents here at Palm Gardens are in very good hands. If you ever have any other questions or things we can help you with, please call us at Station 51."

"I will. You and your partner were wonderful presenters."

Getting Johnny's attention, Roy motioned for him to come over.

"Johnny, I was just telling Patrick about how wonderful his staff was…and how we'd help him with any other future questions he may have."

Johnny nodded his head in agreement. "I agree…100%...a wonderful staff."

"Well, I suppose we should get going now. I'm sure our Captain has some things for us to do back at the station."

"I'm sure he does." Patrick replied with a knowing grin. "Allow me to walk you gentlemen out."

Picking up their two fire extinguishers, the paramedics followed the administrator through the various hallways, and back to the main lobby area.

"Gentlemen…it was a real pleasure."

"Thank you, sir." Johnny replied.

Again shaking hands, Roy and Johnny went through the large automatic glass doors, and made their way back to the squad.

Noting how quiet his partner was, Roy was the first one to open the conversation.

"That was a great experience. I wish all people were as pro-active in these situations as Mr. Conway is."

Looking up after helping to put away the two fire extinguishers, Johnny wore a slightly confused look on his face. "Huh?"

"I said…"

"Yeah, I heard ya. You were talking about Mr. Conway. Yes, it was a great thing he did…calling to have someone from the Department come to talk to these folks."

Climbing into the squad's cab, Johnny lifted up the radio mike. "L.A., Squad 51 available from Palm Gardens Health Care Center."

"Ten-four, 51." came the dispatcher's reply.

Starting up the squad, Roy backed out of the parking space, as Johnny replaced the radio microphone back into its holder.

As Roy pulled out of the parking lot, he turned to look at his partner.

"Johnny?" When he got no answer from his partner, he called his name a second time. "Johnny…"

Finally acknowledging his partner, Johnny sighed contentedly.

"The brunette?" Roy asked.

"Yep. Her name is Stephanie, and she is incredible. She's got these amazing green eyes, and her voice…I don't know it's strong but soft too. I started to ask her out, but she had to leave. She suggested that I call her to set up a time for me to come volunteer there."

"And are you?" Roy curiously.

"Gonna call? Of course I am. Doing a bit of volunteering there might even be kinda fun. I'm sure those folks have some amazing stories to tell."

"All this for a girl, Johnny?"

"No, not JUST for a girl. I'd be doing it for me, too. My folks are always telling me that I should get involved with a few other things besides just work, and camping or hiking. This could be that something else."

"You would really go through with this?" Roy asked with a certain amount of disbelief.

"Of course, I would, Roy. You're acting like doing something like this is beneath me. I'll remind you that in the Indian culture, the elders are revered. Just do me one thing though…don't say anything about this to Chet. You know how he twists everything I do."

"Mum's the word, Junior."

Settling back in his seat, Johnny continued to have a contented look on his face.

"It was pretty cool that Chief Houts recommended us for the job based on our performance on the Tom Jensen Show."

Roy laughed softly. "A bit ironic if you ask me."

Returning to the station, Roy backed the squad into the vehicle bay, where they were greeted by Captain Stanley.

"Hey fellas. How'd it go?"

Before either paramedic could answer, Chet, who had heard them return and came out to greet them, answered for them.

"Let me guess…the presentation was a dud, and Gage struck out mightily with the female staff members there. Am I right?" Chet answered with a smirk.

Looking on interestedly, Hank waited to hear what their actual response would be.

"No Chet. Our presentation went really well…they loved us." Johnny replied with a smile and playfully puffing out his chest.

"Okay, so that part went well. What about the second part?" Chet continued.

Shooting his partner a look, Johnny implored Roy not to say anything.

"I did fine…let's just leave it at that."

Snickering, Chet shook his head.

"In other words…you struck out."

"I DIDN'T strike out, Chet. In fact, I met someone…a very sweet girl in fact."

"Okay. So what is this alleged girl's name?"

"If you must know, her name is Stephanie. I'll be calling her when we get off duty tomorrow."

Continuing their sparring session, Chet and Johnny walked away, while Roy stayed to talk to Hank, the two of them shaking their head at the other two men's antics.

"So it went well?" Hank asked interestedly.

"Yeah, it went very well. The administrator there, Mr. Conway, is a nice guy…and very pro-active with things. It seems that a good friend of his whom has the same position at a place in Arizona, had a bad fire at his facility. It scared Mr. Conway enough to want to do something to make sure his staff was prepared in an emergency situation."

"And?"

"They were really into it, Cap. I can honestly say that if there was ever a real emergency there, his staff would be ready. I suppose you already knew how Chief Houts had come to pick me and Johnny for the assignment?"

"Actually, no I don't. How did it happen?"

"Would you believe it was based on our appearance on that Tom Jensen TV show a few months ago?"

Hank looked at Roy with great surprise.

"No kidding." Hank said in tone that matched the surprised look on his face.

"No kidding." Roy repeated. "I guess Johnny had a sense of what he was doing when he volunteered us to go on that show."

When Hank and Roy joined the others inside, Chet and Johnny were still going at it.

"So why won't you tell me anything else about this girl, Gage?"

"Because…because it's none of your business, Chet. Cap, can you please make him shut up?" Johnny asked looking hopefully at his captain.

"Chet…be quiet. I don't think the rest of us want to hear any more of your arguing. The important thing is that their presentation was successful and might…just might one day save a life." Hank said, effectively putting an end to their bickering.

Turning around from his lunch preparations, Marco smiled. "Amen."

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The afternoon turned out to be pretty slow. After eating a delicious lunch of stir-fry chicken and vegetables over rice, prepared by Marco, the men set about working on various station chores.

Chet was washing the dishes, Hank was in the office working on some paperwork, Marco was emptying the trash cans, and Mike, Johnny and Roy were in the vehicle bay checking over their vehicles and equipment.

As Mike was checking over the gauges on the side of the engine, he nonchalantly asked his friend about the girl in question.

"So Johnny, tell me about Stephanie."

"You too, Mike?" Johnny asked, shaking his head.

"Just curious. You don't have to tell me, but I know you're going to." Mike added with a grin and a wink.

Turning around and sitting on the squad's passenger side running board, Johnny couldn't help but to smile.

"She seems really down to earth, and has the most amazing green eyes. We really didn't have much of a chance to talk, as she had to get back to work. She suggested that I call her some time to set up a time to meet…and maybe talk about volunteering there at the home."

"That might be a good idea to volunteer, Johnny. My grandmother was in a nursing home. I know they're always looking for folks to help out. Stephanie doesn't sound like she's a nurse. What exactly does she do there?"

"She is the Recreation Director… she's really something. Do me a favor Mike, don't say anything about this to Chet. He'd only ruin everything for me."

"My lips are sealed." Mike replied, buttoning his lips with his fingers.

Before Johnny could return to his equipment check or make any other comments, the alarm sounded.

"Squad 51, man down, Anderson Park, 19101 Wilmington Avenue…timeout 1337…"

Getting on the radio, Roy responded, and off they went.

Arriving at the park, they were met by Police Officer Adam Porter, a friend of Johnny's.

"Hey there." Adam greeted as the two paramedics pulled up and were getting out of their squad.

"What do we have Adam?"

"Nothing too serious, Roy…roller skating victim. A man was skating on one of the paths when he veered off to the side and wrenched his leg. He seems to be in some considerable pain though."

Gathering their supplies and the bio-phone, Roy and Johnny followed Adam to where their victim lay on the ground, grimacing in pain.

When they got to the downed man, both sets of eyes went immediately not to him, but to the young woman squatting on the ground beside him. She was a very attractive blonde, with a rather large chest, and wearing a halter top and a pair of short denim shorts.

"Can you help him?" The young woman asked worriedly.

"Uh…yeah…yeah, we can help him." Johnny was able to stumble out. "What exactly happened?"

"It was all my own fault." commented the injured man. "I…I wasn't paying attention to where I was going…oww…it really hurts."

Setting their equipment down on the ground, Roy started to ask the man more questions.

"What's your name, sir?"

"It's Mitch…Mitch Powers."

"Okay, Mitch. I just want you to relax. My partner and I are going to check out your leg, and we'll get you to the hospital."

Shaking her head, the young woman sighed loudly. "I knew it was a dumb idea to do this, Mitch."

"Honey, it wasn't a bad idea at all. I told you, it was my own fault this happened, not yours."

Johnny went about examining the leg. "Does this hurt?" He asked, as he manipulated the leg carefully one way and then another.

"Yeah…oh, it really hurts."

"How about your ankle? Did you hurt your ankle too?"

Trying to move it, Mitch realized that his ankle was not exactly pain free.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Getting on the bio-phone, Roy gave Rampart all their gathered information.

Johnny carefully splinted Mitch's right knee and ankle then Roy gave him a shot for the pain.

The ambulance that Adam had called for had arrived shortly thereafter and the two attendants had made their way to where the paramedics and victim were.

After helping to lift Mitch up and onto the stretcher, Johnny turned to face the young woman.

"Miss, you have a ride to the hospital?"

"Yes. Our car is in the parking lot." Bending down, she gave Mitch a kiss on the lips. "I'll meet you at the hospital, sweetheart."

Johnny nodded his head. "Rampart General Hospital."

After loading Mitch into the ambulance, Roy went inside with him, while Johnny handed him the bio-phone.

"Meet you at Rampart." said Johnny as he closed the doors and gave them the obligatory two taps.

As he was putting the rest of the equipment away in the squad, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Turning around, he came face to face with the attractive blonde.

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping my husband."

"It's no problem. That's what we're here for." Johnny replied with a smile.

"I better get going to the hospital."

Just like that she was gone.

Standing behind him, Adam grinned.

"Too bad, Johnny…she's married."

Turning around to face his police friend, Johnny shrugged his shoulders.

"That's okay. She's not really my type anyway."

The cop stood there looking at Johnny in disbelief. "Not your type? I thought EVERY pretty face was your type of woman."

Sighing loudly, Johnny merely smiled at his friend.

"Guess I'm maturing in my old age. See ya later, buddy."

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Meeting his partner at the hospital, Johnny was all smiles as he continued to think about Stephanie.

Parking by the ER entrance, he got out and went inside, walking over to the base station where he knew Roy would be.

"Hi Johnny." greeted Dixie warmly. "I hear your presentation this morning went well."

"Hey Dix. Yep, it sure did…not that there were any doubts." Johnny added with a typical Gage grin.

Exchanging a look, Roy and Dixie both shook their head.

"No, of course not, Johnny."

"Hey, how's Mitch doing, Roy?"

"Dr. Brackett still has to get x-rays on his knee and ankle, but he doesn't think it's anything more than two really bad sprains."

"That's good. We have time for some coffee?" Johnny asked his partner hopefully.

"Why? I'm sure there's some back at the station."

"That's what I'm afraid of." groaned Johnny.

Shaking his head, Roy looked at his partner with a little confusion.

"Okay, Johnny…I'll bite. Why don't you want to go back to the station?"

"Two words…Chet Kelly."

"Johnny, when are you going to learn to just ignore him? Chet pushes your buttons intentionally because he knows he's going to get a rise out of you. But come to think of it, I really don't even know what you two were going at it about before, anyway."

"He was busting my chops about this morning. He kept insisting that I struck out….and as you know, I DIDN'T strike out."

"And why do you care what he thinks anyway, Johnny? You know the truth."

"Because…because I just do, Roy. And if he ever finds out that I volunteer over at the nursing home…I'll never hear the end of it."

Looking up from the chart that she had started to work on, Dixie smiled. "Johnny…you volunteer at a nursing home?"

"Well, not yet…but I will be."

"What's her name?" Dixie asked with a knowing look.

"Her name?" Johnny repeated.

"Come on, Johnny. I know you have a good heart, but…"

"But what? Maybe I really want to volunteer. Maybe I'll be really good at it." Johnny's tone was that of him being slightly hurt.

"I'm sorry, Johnny. Of course I think you'd be wonderful at it. It's just that I've never heard you express an interest in doing something like that before."

Shrugging his shoulders, Johnny sighed. "It's really no big deal, Dix. I spoke to someone after our presentation this morning, and she suggested that I meet with her on another day to discuss maybe me volunteering. Mike Stoker even told me that places like that are always looking for an extra helping hand."

"Well, I bet you would be great at it, Johnny. The older ladies sure like you." Dixie commented with a sly grin.

"And on that note, I think you might be right, Roy…time to get back to the station."

Roy smiled at Dixie and followed his partner down the hallway.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEE

Returning to the station, both paramedics were grateful to find that the engine was out. Johnny was happy that he wouldn't have to face Chet at the moment, and Roy was just as happy that he wouldn't have to listen to his partner and Chet going at it.

"Roy, you think I should call her?"

Opening his door to get out of the squad, Roy had momentarily forgotten whom he was dealing with.

"Call who?"

"Call who, Roy? Have you not been listening to me for the past few hours?" Johnny asked in frustration.

"Oh…Stephanie. Well, Johnny…you can certainly try to call her. At the very least you can leave her a message."

"Maybe. I don't really want to sound too eager though."

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

A light evening of runs saw 51's crew relaxing after supper.

While the rest of the guys were watching a movie on TV, Johnny was at the table writing.

"Gage, aren't you going to come watch the movie with us? It's Cool Hand Luke…it doesn't get much better than that."

Johnny waved his friend off. "I'm busy."

Looking up from his seat on the couch next to Henry, Chet shrugged his shoulders.

"What has you so busy that you are passing up a Paul Newman movie?"

"Chet…just please be quiet. Cap, can you shut him up?"

Hank turned in his chair and glanced over at the subject in question.

"Kelly…quiet…please." Hank said in a calm but direct tone.

While the others were watching the movie, Johnny was working on a list of his interests and things that might make good topics of conversations with some of the nursing home residents.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEE

The next morning at the end of the shift, Johnny was in the locker room getting dressed. He was looking forward to going back to the nursing home that day, but didn't know if he was more excited to be going back to see Stephanie or to embark on the new experience of volunteering.

Growing up in Montana on a reservation, he had learned to have great respect for his elders. He had been very close to his grandparents, and was heartbroken the day he had learned that each of them had passed. His grandmother had died from pneumonia, and his grandfather had died in his sleep, presumably from natural causes, a year later. Johnny was actually welcoming the experience of possibly connecting with a resident, though he also understood that too much of an attachment would make "saying good-bye" difficult.

Buttoning up his beige shirt, he paid no attention to Chet who was sitting on the bench watching him.

"What are you up to, Gage?" Chet asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tucking his shirt into his jeans, Johnny turned and smiled at his friend.

"I'm not up to anything, Chet. Have a great couple days off. Roy, I'll call you later."

Roy smiled and waved to his partner.

Johnny picked up his gray duffel bag, slung it over his shoulder, closed his locker, and left the room.

Once he was in the Rover heading home to his apartment, Johnny allowed his mind to think back to his happy childhood, his grandparents having been such a big part of that. His grandfather was a very wise man who had taught Johnny a lot about his Indian heritage, and basically helped shape him into the person that he'd ultimately become. Johnny's grandmother was a very warm and hardworking woman who helped teach her grandson the value of having a good strong work ethic. He had spent a lot of time with both of them. It was a sad time for him when they had died, and he wondered if he was up to going through something like that again, but felt that it would be worth it in the end. After all, being a firefighter and paramedic Johnny was not immune to dealing with death it was just that he had rarely had a personal stake in the victim who did die.

Arriving at his apartment complex parking lot, Johnny pulled into his spot, and got out, grabbing the duffel bag as he was doing so.

When he got inside his apartment, he dropped his bag by the door and went immediately to his kitchen to get a fresh pot of coffee brewing. Once he got chore number one completed, he looked at his watch.

"Eight thirty." Johnny said out loud. "Maybe I'll eat some breakfast and then give Stephanie a call at work."

While waiting for the coffee to finish, Johnny took out two eggs from the refrigerator and carefully placed them on the counter. Pulling out his frying pan from one of the bottom cabinets, he placed it on the front right burner, and turned the gas on low.

As he was making himself some scrambled eggs, he was remembering the many times that his grandmother would make breakfast for him. Both of his parents worked in town, and had to leave the house early in the morning, leaving Johnny's grandparents to watch him. His grandmother was a good cook, and so was his mother, for that matter, but alas Johnny hadn't exactly inherited either women's cooking skills.

Sitting down at the table with his freshly brewed cup of coffee, scrambled eggs, and two pieces of rye toast, Johnny allowed his mind to go back in time to his childhood and think about the wonderful things that he had done with his grandparents. His grandfather had taught him how to fish, and about the stars in the sky. From his grandmother, Johnny learned about compassion and how to be resourceful.

When he was finished eating, he decided that he would take a hot shower to unwind then he would call Stephanie and hopefully set up a time to meet with her that day, but first Johnny would wash the few things in his sink. Getting out his liquid dish detergent, and his dish rag, he turned on the hot water and started to wash the frying pan. As he stood at his sink, he could remember his grandmother doing the very same thing…humming as she was doing so.


	2. Chapter 2

**Amazing Grace (Chapter 2)**

When he finished with the dishes, he made his way to his bedroom, smiling as he did so. He wasn't sure what he was looking forward to more, seeing Stephanie, or actually volunteering, and doing something that people were not giving him enough credit for wanting to do.

After showering and drying off, he got dressed. Wanting to look nice, but also casual, he put on a pair of jeans and a light blue dress shirt, with his favorite beige sweater. Combing his hair, he thought maybe it was time to get a haircut. If he was going to be serious about this volunteering thing, he wanted to look the part, and besides Chief Houts would be happy…he was always telling Johnny to get a haircut.

Making the call to the nursing home, he waited for someone to answer.

"Good morning, Palm Gardens Nursing Home…Cara speaking, may I help you?"

"Uh, yes. I'm calling for Stephanie. I'm sorry, I don't know her last name. She's the Recreation Director."

"Sure, hold on…I'll transfer you to her line."

Waiting for a few moments, Johnny was happy when the next voice he heard was Stephanie's.

"Stephanie Meriwether, here."

"Hi Stephanie…it's John Gage…we met yesterday at the fire safety presentation."

"Of course I remember you, John."

Johnny was pleased when he heard the pleased tone of her voice.

"You said to call you to set up a time to meet. I was kind of hoping to do it this morning…unless you're tied up with something…or someone else."

Stephanie let out a small laugh. "No…nothing else going on right now. My staff is handling things just fine. How about if you come in an hour? We'll talk about you coming to volunteer here, then."

"Sounds great. Should I just come in and ask for you?"

"Yes. Tell the receptionist that you're here to meet with me. She'll give you directions to my office."

"Terrific…see you in a bit."

"Sure thing, John."

Hanging up the phone, Johnny was happy to know that he was about to embark on something that he had hoped would help to make a difference in others' lives. He knew that he did that regularly as a firefighter and paramedic, but it made him smile to think that he could also do it in another way. He would not know till much later, just how much of a difference he would make in one resident's life, nor how much of an effect that the whole experience would ultimately have on him as a person.

Getting his keys and wallet, Johnny headed for the door and locked up.

In the Rover on the way to his meeting with Stephanie, he had the radio on his favorite radio station. He was happily singing along with the music. Currently the song playing was, Three Dog Night's, "Joy to the World."

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog…was a good friend of mine…"

All was right in the world.

To kill a little bit of time, so he didn't appear to be too overanxious, Johnny made a pit stop at a 7-Eleven to get a cup of coffee and a jelly donut. Returning to his car, he sat listening to the radio and enjoying his refreshments. After a few minutes, he was back on the road.

When he finally did arrive at the nursing home, he parked his car, and got out, again admiring the beauty of the building on his way inside. Introducing himself to the receptionist, he signed in the guest log, and given directions to Stephanie's office.

As he made his way to her office, he heard the strains of a violin playing in the distance. Not wanting to keep Stephanie waiting, but quite curious as to the origin of the lilting music, Johnny's curiosity won out, and he went to investigate the source.

Walking down the hallway, Johnny headed towards the music source until it got louder. Approaching the room that the music was coming from, he stood quietly in the doorway, and glanced inside.

The room was about the same size as the squad room back at 51's, and was very bright from the sunshine that was streaming in through the many windows that covered one side of the room. There were four long tables with chairs placed around them, and a baker's rack full of what appeared to be art supplies, along one wall.

The woman sitting at the end of one of the tables was in fact playing a violin.

Seeing someone standing in the doorway, she stopped playing and looked up.

Johnny felt bad for disturbing the woman. "I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to disturb you."

The woman, who looked to be in her seventies, and was impeccably dressed in a blue pant suit and pearls, smiled warmly at him.

"Hello, young man. And no, you didn't disturb me at all. I enjoy an audience." She replied in a French accent.

"I heard you playing…of course I didn't know it was you at the time…and wanted to check it out."

The woman got a measure of pleasure when she noted how Johnny had become a bit tongue tied at his reply.

"Disappointed?" the woman asked curiously.

"No, not at all." replied Johnny, as he walked further into the room to introduce himself. "John Gage…and that was very beautiful."

Putting her violin carefully down on the table, the older woman took Johnny's offered hand.

"Grace Duval. You here visiting someone?"

Grinning embarrassingly, Johnny nodded his head. "Well…not really visiting…more like meeting with them."

"I see. And who would this person you're meeting with, happen to be?"

"Stephanie Meriwether."

"Ahh…Stephanie. Lovely young lady." Grace commented with a sly smile.

"Yes, she seems to be. Listen, after my meeting with her, would you mind if I came back and visited with you for a while?" Johnny asked hopefully.

Returning Johnny's smile, Grace patted his hand.

"That…would be lovely, John Gage. I will be here."

"Okay. It…it shouldn't be too long."

Grace nodded, and Johnny left the room.

Continuing his way to Stephanie's office, Johnny found himself thinking more about his short "visit" with Grace, than his upcoming meeting with Stephanie.

Meeting him outside her office, Stephanie smiled when she saw the paramedic.

"John…welcome."

"Thank you. And thanks for agreeing to meet with me."

"My pleasure. Come on in."

Following the young lady into her office, Johnny's mind began to shift from being interested in chasing after Stephanie, to forging a friendship with Grace.

"So…you want to volunteer?" she asked interestedly.

"Yeah. I…I guess I'm looking for something else to do in my free time."

"You have free time?" came the surprised response.

Johnny laughed softly. "I do. Work keeps me busy, and I do do some overtime, but there is free time to be had in my life. When my partner Roy and I were here yesterday morning, it just seemed like it might be something worthwhile to get involved with…I mean volunteering."

"Oh…it is. How much time are you looking at doing?"

"I don't know…a few hours a week."

Studying Johnny's face for a minute, she smiled as she thought of some ideas of things he probably would be good at, and enjoy doing at the home.

"That sounds good. I have a few ideas for you. There is a men's group that is always looking for other men to help lead some activities for them. Bingo is a big one…the ladies will love you. And there are also one to one room visits…for folks who have no family, and don't have much of a desire to come out and socialize. I'm also open to any other ideas you might have."

Johnny sat quietly for a few moments. While all of those suggestions sounded interesting to him, he was more interested in learning about Grace.

"Stephanie, mind if I ask you a question?"

Smiling widely, she assumed that Johnny was going to ask her about her personal life.

"Shoot."

"On the way to your office, I met a woman…Grace Duval. Could you tell me about her?"

"Grace? Well…she is a lovely lovely woman. She plays the violin…used to be a professional violinist."

"Does she have any family who visit her?"

Stephanie sadly shook her head.

"Sorry to say, no she doesn't. Grace might be the perfect place for you to start your volunteering. You can visit with her, and ask HER all these questions. Would you like that?"

"I would…very much. I told her that I would visit with her when we were through with our meeting."

"I'm glad you two hit it off. Say John…I was kind of wondering…if you're free tonight, how about meeting me for a bite to eat or something? I would love to hear some more about your firefighting escapades."

Johnny was taken aback by Stephanie being the one to ask HIM out.

"Ahh…yeah, sure."

"Okay. How about six o'clock at the Rustic Inn Crab House? I love seafood."

"Great. Sounds like a plan. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me…guess I'll see you tonight."

Giving Stephanie a big smile, Johnny left her office to return to Grace.

When Johnny returned to his new friend, she was again playing her violin.

Looking up when she saw Johnny returning to the room, her face lit up like a brightly moonlit sky. "You're back."

"I am. I said I would be back."

Sitting down at the table beside Grace, he continued to smile back at her.

"So how did your meeting with Stephanie go? Are you in?"

Laughing softly, he nodded his head. "I'm in. I guess I am starting now. My first assignment is to visit with you."

"Really?" She asked with a bit of skepticism in her voice.

"Really. I wouldn't be here talking to you, if I didn't want to be…believe me. If you don't mind, I would really like to hear you play some more on your violin. Stephanie told me that you were a professional violinist at one time."

Becoming very quiet with a faraway look on her face, Grace sat for a few moments without saying anything.

Sensing that he had inadvertently stumbled onto a somewhat touchy subject, Johnny felt bad.

"Grace…I'm sorry if…."

Putting her hand on top of his, Grace shook her head.

"You did nothing wrong, John. It's a part of my past…I don't really talk about it very much. But, seeing that we're probably going to be spending a bit of time together, I suppose it might be a good idea for me to tell you a little bit about myself. Then maybe you can do the same."

Giving her one of his patented grins, Johnny nodded his head. "Sure. I'll start if you'd like. What do you want to know?"

Raising an eyebrow, Grace continued to smile. "Well, I think the first thing that I would like to know is whether or not you scored with Stephanie?"

Getting caught off-guard, and easily flustered anyway, Johnny started to choke.

"Excuse me? What exactly do you mean by score, Grace?"

"I mean, did you ask her out on a date?"

Johnny paused for a few moments to collect himself. For someone who seemed so staid and demure, Grace sure wasn't what she seemed to be.

"Actually, she asked ME out on a date."

"And you DID say yes, didn't you?' Grace asked interestedly.

"Yes, I did say yes. We're meeting for a bite to eat this evening. Does that meet your approval?"

Nodding her head, the older woman smiled. "Yes, it does. Now tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up, and things like that? And what do you do for a living?"

"I grew up in Montana…spent a few early years on a reservation. When I was about twelve years old, I moved to Los Angeles with my father and Aunt Rosa. He had received a good job opportunity. My mother stayed in Montana with my older brother and sister."

"What are their names?"

"My brother's name is Aaron, and my sister is Jessie. They both still live in Montana. After my dad retired from the construction business, he returned to Montana and bought a ranch. That's pretty much what the rest of my family is involved in now. Me…I'm a firefighter and paramedic with the LA County Fire Department."

Grace's face again lit up at hearing that Johnny was a firefighter.

"Your folks must be very proud of you."

Johnny nodded his head. "I would like to think they are. Mom and dad were very supportive and encouraging of my decision to be a firefighter. I live alone in Carson in an apartment, but hope to someday own a house…with a white picket fence, and a dog…and maybe a few kids."

Grinning at her new friend's response, Grace nodded approvingly. "But first you have to find the right girl."

In the middle of their conversation, a young woman who appeared to be a nurse came in to the room.

"Grace, I came to ask you where you wanted to eat your lunch today. Stephanie had mentioned to me that you had a visitor, and that the two of you might be interested in sharing lunch out on the back patio today."

Receiving a rather hopeful look from Grace, Johnny smiled warmly. "The patio sounds like it would make for a very pleasant area for a meal. If you'll have me, I would love to join you."

Giving the nurse a sly grin, Grace nodded her head. "Then it's settled. My friend John and I will be eating out on the patio."

"Just out of curiosity, what is the meal today?" Johnny asked the nurse.

"It's a choice of either spaghetti and meatballs, or broiled salmon. If you both tell me what you'd like, I'll be sure to tell the kitchen staff."

"What do you recommend, Grace?"

"They're both good. I'm going to have the salmon, but for you…I'd suggest the spaghetti and meatballs."

Smiling, the nurse nodded her head in understanding. "You got it. I'll see you two out there for lunch. Enjoy your visit."

Once the nurse left, Johnny returned his attention to Grace. "Sounds like you guys eat pretty well here."

"We do…I certainly have no complaints. Well, I guess it's my turn to tell you a little bit about myself."

Knowing that some people tend to be more private than Johnny himself was, the paramedic gave Grace an affectionate but understanding look. "Grace, you don't have to tell me anything right now…do it at your leisure. I know some people guard their privacy rather closely. I would never want to take that away from you. I'm not going anywhere. When you are ready to share…you will."

Because of her painful past, it was often difficult for her to talk about it. She was relieved that Johnny was so understanding. "I appreciate you not pushing. Some people just dive in, you know what I mean?"

Having a sense of what she meant, Johnny nodded his head. He needed only to look in the mirror to get it. He tended to do that to others, and he definitely did not want to do that to Grace. The woman was well into her seventies, and deserved that respect.

"Well, the way I see it…we have all afternoon to talk about it." Giving her a wink, Johnny had a warmth in his heart that he was not used to.

Suddenly getting up from her chair, Grace snapped her fingers.

"I have an idea. How about if I take you on a tour of this place? Seeing me walking with a very handsome younger man will make the other ladies jealous…and give them something to gossip about."

Laughing, Johnny nodded his head. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Can I help you put your violin away?"

"If you'd like to. My case is over there on the other table."

Getting up, Johnny went to retrieve the case. Noticing a wooden cane on the table next to it, he assumed it to be Grace's and brought it over to her.

"Here. And I guess this cane is yours, too."

Sighing loudly the older woman sadly shook her head.

"Yes, it's mine. I need it for support. I don't quite walk like I used to. But I figure that I'll also have your arm to hold on to, so I'll be all set."

Helping her to put the violin in its case, Johnny observed the lovingly way that she handled the stringed instrument.

"That violin…it must be one of your best friends."

"Yes, it is…and for many reasons. I'll tell you about it in due time. Right now, it is time for you to escort a lady on her rounds."

After putting Grace's violin case on the floor by the windows, like she asked him to, Johnny escorted her out of the room.

Going down the hallway, they passed a room where a small group of residents were watching television.

"This is the TV room. About this time Monday through Friday they enjoy watching the game shows…The Price is Right, and Let's Make a Deal."

"Do you spend much time with them watching TV?" Johnny asked Grace.

"No. I never was much of a television watcher…too many things in life to do."

Johnny nodded his head in agreement. He didn't watch much TV either…too busy camping or spending time with friends, not to mention working, and any overtime he might have.

Continuing on down the hallway, they came to a rather large room with about 15 square tables and chairs placed around each one.

"What's this room?" Johnny asked interestedly.

"It's the game room. Mainly bingo games that take place here. There are also card games, bridge, Scrabble, and other board games. Some times this room is used for church programs."

Approaching the two of them from the opposite direction were two older women.

Seeing Johnny standing with Grace, the two women became very curious, and stopped to investigate.

"Grace…hello there, dear. Who is this handsome young man?" the first woman asked, hopeful of getting the necessary information.

Grasping Johnny's arm a little tighter, and looking up at him with a big smile, Grace shared her answer.

"Martha…Minnie, this is John Gage. He is my very new friend. He will also be volunteering here."

Smiling and batting her eyelashes, the second woman, Minnie attempted to flirt with the younger man.

"So you'll be calling bingo, perhaps?"

"Perhaps." Johnny replied.

"Guess you'll be my new good luck charm." Minnie continued.

"Well, girls…we must be on our way. John and I have to get ready for our lunch out on the patio."

Without waiting for any other replies, Grace nudged Johnny, and nodded for him to start walking.

"Bye, ladies…" Johnny called out, so as not to be rude, as he was led away from the curious looks.

"Friends of yours?" asked Johnny, unsure of what Grace's response would be.

"I suppose. I get along with everyone, but I also keep my distance."

Spotting the familiar face of the paramedic, Mr. Conway, the facility's administrator came over to Johnny and Grace.

"John…" The man greeted warmly, as he held out his hand.

"Mr. Conway…Patrick." Johnny returned, shaking the other man's hand.

"It's nice to see you, John. But I admit that I didn't expect to see you back so soon."

"I decided to look into volunteering here. I met with Stephanie this morning. I've been visiting with Grace all this time."

"I'm glad." Patrick replied with a smile. "She is wonderful company…and one of my favorite residents. Never a cross thing to say, and always a smile on her face."

Bending down, the administrator gave Grace a peck on the cheek, to which she merely shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, 'what else is new…and it really is no big deal.'

"John will be joining me for lunch out on the patio today."

Patrick winked at the older woman.

"I'm impressed, Grace. Carry on. I'll catch up to you, later. I hear that there will be make your own ice cream sundaes today after lunch. I never miss that."

"Sundaes? Count me in." came Johnny's response.


	3. Chapter 3

**Amazing Grace chapter 3**

Continuing on their tour of the building, Johnny smiled to himself when he observed Grace and how proudly she carried herself. He did however keep thinking to himself about Grace's background, and her unwillingness to share it so easily. Convinced that he would just have to wait it out, he knew that she would eventually tell him about it.

Finally making it out to the back patio, Johnny looked around in awe as Grace led him to one of the tables. The landscaping was beautiful. The patio floor was made of a very smooth concrete surface that had been painted to look like red bricks. The property was lined with various kinds of trees…majestic palms, magnolias, oak trees, and even a lemon tree, and had a low brick wall that acted as a fence, for safety and privacy, and had a gate. There were several large rectangular plant boxes that housed all kinds of colorful flowers, and even a small vegetable garden. Eight round tables with four chairs each, were scattered on the patio, and all had umbrellas attached to them to help with shade from the sun. Placed in several locations throughout the area were hanging baskets of flowers or plants, hanging from tall iron posts. All in all, Johnny thought that it was a wonderful place to eat a meal, or even to just sit and talk.

"It's really beautiful out here, Grace. You come out here often?"

"As often as I can. Sometimes…sometimes I'll bring my violin out here and play."

Smiling at the thought of his new friend playing an outdoor "concert", Johnny had a few thoughts come to mind, but didn't voice them. Either she attracted a group of people who would come out and listen to her play, following the sound of the same lilting melody that had seemingly directed him to her…or she had attracted some animal friends…birds, squirrels, and other small four-legged friends. His bet was that it was the animals that would come to hear her play.

Pulling out a chair from the table, Johnny helped Grace to sit down.

"Thank you, John." came the appreciative reply. "You're quite the gentleman. I'm sure you're a hit with the ladies."

Johnny's slow response threw Grace. "Don't tell me that you have trouble with the ladies. You're…you're so sweet and handsome…"

"Getting dates isn't the problem. I suppose the bigger problem is seeing things through. They usually don't work out for me."

Patting Johnny's hand, as he was now sitting in a chair beside her, Grace smiled knowingly. "Ahh…you'll find someone special…someone who will love you for you. Maybe Stephanie will be the one."

Again Johnny smiled. While he initially was attracted to the recreation director, it was no longer about going after her, for him…it was about giving of himself to other folks who needed a bit of extra attention, and more specifically about Grace and his friendship with her.

"Who knows…maybe we'll hit it off and fall madly in love." The paramedic had his doubts about it, but for the sake of Grace's hopeful optimism, he didn't express them.

The two friends were out on the patio talking for about twenty minutes when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Grace…John…"

Looking up, Johnny did smile when he saw Stephanie walking towards them.

"Hi there. Thank you for the idea of having the two of us eat out here. It is so beautiful. If I worked here, I'd never get anything done…all I'd wanna do is to just stay out here all day."

Stephanie gave the handsome paramedic her best smile. "Yes, it would certainly be tempting, but if you want to keep your job…"

"Yeah, I figured as much. I guess that's why I am glad that my job isn't a job that keeps me cooped up indoors."

While the three of them were casually talking, a woman pushing a cart came outside.

"Lunch is served." The young woman greeted with a smile.

Helping the other woman, Stephanie set the table so Grace and Johnny could be served their meal.

Bending his head over his plate of spaghetti and meatballs, Johnny took in the aromatic scent.

"I'll bet you this is even better than Mike Stoker's spaghetti."

Looking at him questioningly, the three women wondered what he was talking about. It was Stephanie who asked the question.

"Who's Mike Stoker, John?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Mike Stoker is the engineer at my fire station. He makes the best spaghetti, however I am sure that this rivals anything that he makes."

The young woman who brought out their food smiled. "Enjoy your lunch." After making sure that Grace and her lunch guest were all settled, she returned inside.

"Well, I guess I should head back inside too. Don't forget about the make your own ice cream sundaes today. Johnny, I'll see you this evening."

"Sure thing."

Stephanie turned around to walk away, but stopped to take another glance at the duo. She again smiled at the sight, observing what came next.

"Grace, I'd like to propose a toast."

"I'll go for that." She answered with a smile.

With both of them lifting their glasses in the air, Johnny looked into Grace's eyes, seeing not an old woman, but a new friend that age had nothing to do with.

"Grace, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Smiling widely, Grace nodded her head. "I agree, John. To friendship."

Clinking their glasses gently together, they smiled at one another, and took a sip of their drinks.

"Casablanca is one of my all-time favorite movies. That ending scene…"

Johnny nodded his head in agreement. "Yep, one of my favorites too."

After enjoying a very pleasant meal together, including some more good conversation, Grace and Johnny headed back inside with the intent of making their own ice cream sundaes.

Returning to the dining room, they stepped up to the long table that had chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, as well as various syrups, nuts, chopped fruit, and whipped cream, and of course sprinkles. Johnny made Grace's sundae first, and then his.

Sitting down at a nearby table, they were soon joined by the nursing home administrator, Mr. Conway.

"Hello again. Did you enjoy your lunch outside?"

The older woman smiled and looked affectionately over at Johnny.

"The food as always was delicious, and the company was wonderful."

"Yes, I enjoyed everything too. I was telling Grace and Stephanie that the spaghetti I had for lunch was even better than what one of the guys at my station makes…and his is really good. Oh, and yes, the company was very enchanting."

Mr. Conway smiled at the unlikely pair. "I'm glad that things are working out so well for the two of you."

When they were finished with their ice cream sundaes, Johnny walked Grace back to her room.

Looking at his watch, Johnny was surprised at the time. He had already been there for a few hours. "Well, I guess I should get going. You look like you can use some rest."

Grace nodded her head. "I am a bit tired. I usually try to take a nap in the afternoon…to rejuvenate myself for the evening. I had a wonderful time with you today, John. You are a delightful young man."

Johnny smiled embarrassingly at her. "Grace…the pleasure was all mine. You're a special woman."

Leaning over slightly, Johnny gave Grace a small peck on the cheek. "I'll try to get back here tomorrow…but if something comes up, I'll come back as soon as I can. I go back on duty in two days."

"And I'll be looking forward to it. Promise me that you'll tell me all about your date with Stephanie."

Laughing softly, Johnny nodded his head. "I will. Take care, Grace…au revoir."

"Au revoir, John."

Leaving Grace's room, Johnny made his way to the front lobby to go home. As he got to the lobby, he was met once again by Mr. Conway.

"John…" He called out.

Turning around at hearing his name, Johnny smiled when he saw Mr. Conway.

"Hi there. Need me for something?"

"No. I just…I just wanted to thank you for coming here today. It's actually been a while since I've seen Grace so happy. Around you today…she just lit up like a Christmas tree."

Johnny was actually taken aback by the administrator's comment. "It was my pleasure. But what do you mean by 'a while since Grace has been happy?' Does she have a tendency to be depressed?"

"Well, I wouldn't say depressed…just that she has a tendency to stay to herself. You sure brought her out. Will we see you again soon?"

"Yes, hopefully tomorrow."

"Wonderful. You have a good rest of the day, John."

"Thank you…you too."

The two men shook hands, and then Johnny left.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

After relaxing at home for a few hours, Johnny got ready for his date with Stephanie, though his mind continued to be on Grace. The comments that both Stephanie and Mr. Conway had made to him about Grace, as well as Grace's unwillingness to share things about herself so readily, made him all the more curious about her. He hoped that in time she would trust him enough to share these things with him.

Once he was ready, he picked up his wallet and keys, and went out his door. In his Rover as he drove to the restaurant he turned on the radio. The song that came on was Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." He immediately sang along with it.

"Sweet Caroline…good times never seemed so good…"

So engrossed in the music from the radio, Johnny suddenly realized that he had arrived at the restaurant.

Parking, Johnny shut off the radio, and got out. He wasn't sure where this date would lead, but he was willing to give it a chance. He had a feeling that even if things didn't quite work out between them as a couple that they would still be able to be friends.

When he got to the door, he saw Stephanie outside waiting for him.

"Hi there. I'm not late, am I?" Johnny asked embarrassingly.

"Hi…and no you're not…I'm a little early. I hope you're hungry, John…I hear the food here is wonderful."

"Hungry?" replied Johnny. "I was born hungry." Smiling, he opened the door for her, and followed her inside.

Once they were seated, Johnny let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"It's something that Grace said to me today…in fact it was the last thing she said to me. She made me promise her that I would tell her all about our date the next time I saw her."

"Well, hopefully it will be something good."

"Hopefully." replied Johnny with a smile.

After ordering, the two of them shared a bit about themselves.

"I bet you never have a dull moment in your work, Johnny."

"You'd be surprised, Stephanie. Some shifts are more hectic than others, but we actually spend a lot time at the station."

"Cleaning and polishing, no doubt."

Nodding his head, Johnny let out another laugh. While the banter between them was easy and fun, he didn't quite feel the spark.

"I'm sure you have your fair share of excitement too. You know, like discussions about sex and what not."

"Definitely."

"Can I be honest with you?"

Stephanie nodded her head. She had a feeling that she knew what he was going to say, but before he could say anything else, their food came.

Once the food was on the table, and they started to eat, Johnny decided to continue.

"So…yesterday when my partner Roy and I were there giving that fire safety presentation, I saw you and…really wanted to meet you. And if I'm being honest, the real reason why I agreed to talk to you about volunteering was just to see you and maybe ask you out."

Stephanie nodded and smiled wistfully. "I figured as much. But the only thing was that you DIDN'T ask me out…I asked YOU out."

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I hope you're not upset with me."

"Not at all. But the thing is, while that may have been your intent…you DID end up deciding to volunteer."

"I did. Grace is an amazing lady. But I still don't know much about her. She's been very vague about things…and no one else is telling me anything. I just hope that she's okay."

"She's fine, John…especially now that you're in her life. Trust me when I say this…she'll open up to you. So…why didn't you ask me out?"

"I don't know. I guess at the time, I was more intrigued by Grace than by the prospect of going out with you. I've had a lot of people in my life over the years…family, friends, co-workers…every once in a while someone comes into your life that has some kind of effect on you. Grace is one of those people for me. The thing is…I really like you, Stephanie…I just think for now the two of us would make better friends than a couple. It's probably pretty strange hearing that from me."

"Not really. You seem like a pretty good guy, John Gage. How about a toast to friendship?"

Smiling, Johnny lifted up his glass of beer to meet hers. "To friendship."


	4. Chapter 4

**Amazing Grace (chapter 4)**

Continuing their conversation, Johnny felt more comfortable than he may ordinarily have, due to the fact that he had chosen not to pursue a romantic relationship with Stephanie, and could instead just be himself, as goofy and flustered as that may be.

"So what kind of things do you like to do in your spare time, Stephanie?"

"Anything outdoors…hiking…camping…swimming…I've even been hang gliding and parachuting a few times," came her reply.

Johnny looked at her in disbelief. He had never known any woman who actually enjoyed that kind of outdoorsy stuff, not to mention parachuting and hang gliding. "You like all of that stuff?"

"Yeah, I do. I grew up with five brothers…had no choice. How about you, Johnny? I'm sure that your job keeps you busy, but how do spend your down time?"

Letting out a laugh, Johnny couldn't stop grinning. "Actually, with the exception of the hang gliding and parachuting, I like that kind of stuff too. As a matter of fact, I'm planning a camping trip for some time in the next few weeks."

"Cool. Where do you normally like to go?"

"It depends," Johnny replied as he took another sip of his beer. "If I am desperate to get away, I go camping about an hour away in the mountains. If I have time, sometimes I go further away. My partner Roy and I go fishing in Santa Rosa County once in a while."

"Sounds nice. How's your spaghetti, Johnny?"

"It's good…not as good as Mike Stoker's though."

"Mike Stoker?" Stephanie asked, not knowing who Mike was.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Mike is our engineer. He makes the best spaghetti and meatballs."

Smiling, Stephanie couldn't contain herself. "And how about you, Johnny…how well do you cook?"

Turning a light shade of red, the paramedic had to admit to this young woman that he really wasn't a very good cook at all.

"I could lie and say that I am the second coming of the Galloping Gourmet…or I can be honest and tell you that usually when it's my time to cook at the station, I end up making hamburgers or hot dogs. Let's just say that I won't be volunteering for any cooking groups at your nursing home."

Taking in Johnny's handsome smiling face, a part of Stephanie wished that he had felt more of a spark with her, but for now she was content with just being friends. She also knew that he would be an asset to her volunteering program.

"That's okay…I got that part covered."

Watching as she took another mouthful of her seafood meal, Johnny was glad that he had made the decision to just be friends with Stephanie. He figured that if they had begun a relationship and it didn't work out, that his volunteering days might have to end, which due to his new friendship with Grace, he didn't want to jeopardize.

"How's your seafood dish?"

"Delicious. The shrimp are fantastic. Want to try some?"

Johnny shook his head. "No thanks. I like seafood enough, but my preference is Italian."

"I guess that was my forwardness talking. I was so anxious to go out with you that I automatically assumed that this place would be okay with you."

Putting his left hand on top of hers, Johnny smiled. "It's fine, Stephanie. If I didn't want to come here, I would have told you so…believe me. I have no trouble speaking my mind."

"I'm glad, " Stephanie replied with a chuckle.

In the middle of their exchange, there was a commotion at one of the next tables, causing Johnny to look over. A man who looked to be in his seventies had keeled over the table.

Noticing that this was in fact a medical emergency, Johnny got up, telling Stephanie to call for a paramedic squad.

Without questioning him, Stephanie got up and did as she was asked.

When Johnny got to the fallen man, he immediately checked his pulse, only to find that he had none.

Talking to no one in particular, he said, "He's in cardiac arrest. Someone want to get his legs and help me move him to the floor?"

Without hesitation one of the other men who had been sitting at the table took his friend's legs. Once the man was on the floor, Johnny ripped open his shirt, and started the procedure for CPR.

When Stephanie returned to Johnny, she was with the restaurant's manager.

Noticing the crowd of people starting to form around the area, the manager, a well-dressed middle-aged male, started to encourage everyone to back up.

"Please people…go back to your tables…the paramedics will be here any minute and will need room to work. Please…"

So focused on doing CPR was Johnny that he hadn't noticed that the paramedics had arrived and were setting up their equipment.

"Gage…what do we have?" asked Matt Hogan, one of the paramedics from Squad 39.

"Cardiac arrest, "replied Johnny as he continued his chest compressions.

Quickly hooking up their patient to the heart monitor, the second paramedic, Sean Lanning, prepared the defibrillator.

After two tries, their patient was back into a sinus rhythm.

Calling Rampart, Matt made contact with the base station.

"Rampart…"

Allowing himself to sit back on his heels, Johnny wiped the sweat from his forehead, and exhaled loudly.

Seeing Johnny in action, Stephanie had developed even more respect for him.

A few minutes later, the ambulance arrived, and the attendants were helping to put their patient on the stretcher.

Standing up, Johnny watched as the man was prepared for transport.

"Thanks for your help, Johnny," called out Matt.

"No problem, glad I was here."

After helping to clean up the area, Johnny started to return to his table when he was stopped by the manager.

"Sir, I would like to say thank you for what you just did."

Taking the man's offered hand, Johnny smiled an appreciative smile.

"I had a lot of help, but thank you."

"The bill…is on the house."

Shaking his head, Johnny tried to convince the man not to pay for his and Stephanie's meal. Though he was off-duty he still didn't feel right accepting the "gift."

"That's okay…I was just doing what I was trained to do."

"I will not take no for an answer. Anything you and your lovely lady want…it's on me."

Resigned to the fact that he wouldn't win, Johnny weakly nodded his head, and followed Stephanie back to their table.

Helping her to sit down, Johnny then tiredly sat down himself.

"You must be exhausted, Johnny. I always knew doing CPR was taxing, but I never saw it done right in front of me, before."

Rubbing his eyes, the off-duty paramedic nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you think he'll make it?" Stephanie asked hopefully.

"Well, he had a few things going for him, least of which is that I was right there doing CPR on him within a minute of his collapse. The paramedics got here real quick, and Rampart General Hospital is one of the best around. He'll get great care there. I'd say he has an excellent chance of making it."

"I'm glad. Listen, we don't have to stay. I know after what just happened, you're a bit wired."

Again placing his hand on hers, Johnny gave her a tired smile.

"How about if we get this stuff packed up, and then maybe go for a walk or something?"

Returning Johnny's smile with one of her own, Stephanie nodded in agreement. "I'd like that."

Waving over their waiter, Johnny asked the young man to package their food to go. Having already been briefed by his boss, the waiter never mentioned anything about the check.

Going over to their table when he saw Johnny talking to the waiter, the manager wanted to make sure that everything was okay.

"Things are alright, sir?" The manager inquired, concerned that something was wrong.

"They're fine. I guess I'm just a little tired from all the excitement," Johnny offered.

"It's not surprising. By the way, my name is Ben Mathers. I do hope you and the young lady come back again…and if you do, please ask for me, and I will take care of you."

Knowing enough not to argue at this point, Johnny smiled and nodded his head. "That's very generous of you, Ben…thank you. My name is John Gage. I'm a firefighter/paramedic with the L.A. County Fire Department. By the way, here's the tip for our waiter."

Signaling for Johnny to put the money away, Ben smiled. "I have that taken care of, too. I'll make sure your food gets boxed up. Please have a good evening, folks."

"Thank you, we will," answered Johnny, shaking Ben's hand.

A few minutes later, they got their boxed up food, and with Johnny following behind Stephanie, the two of them made their way outside.

Taking a few deep breaths and exhaling, Johnny wasn't quite sure what to do next. He knew that he had suggested a walk earlier, but now he was just tired, and really not in the mood for one.

Sensing his change in mood, Stephanie put her hand on his shoulder.

"We don't have to go for a walk, Johnny. I kind of sense that the moment has passed."

Johnny gave Stephanie an affectionate look. Even in just a couple short hours, he had started to have feelings for her unfortunately they were not of the romantic variety.

"You're sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I shall be there. What's on the agenda, another sex discussion?"

Grinning Stephanie shook her head. "No…it's bingo…but I have to tell you, to the residents it's not JUST bingo."

Letting out a soft laugh, Johnny understood what Stephanie meant by the last comment. Older folks could be just as bad as school kids, and he knew just how competitive Chris and Jennifer DeSoto were with each other.

"Don't worry, I'm prepared. Besides, if the ladies are anything like the ones I met today when Grace was giving me a tour, I won't have a problem. They were…they…they were flirting with me a little bit."

Stephanie thought it was kind of cute to see Johnny get a little flustered when talking about the older ladies flirting with him. It was amazing to her, how less than an hour ago he literally had a man's life in his hands, and now he was getting a little tongue tied.

"I'm sure you won't have any problem. Bingo starts at two o'clock…sharp."

"I'll be there, Stephanie. I had a good time tonight."

"I did too." Kissing him on the cheek, Stephanie left Johnny to ponder what he may be missing.

After watching his new friend walk away, Johnny's mind immediately went to the gentleman who had almost died right there on the restaurant floor. He knew that he wouldn't be able to go home until he stopped at Rampart to find out how the man was doing, and whether or not he had made it.

Getting into his car, Johnny put the styrofoam box of food on the passenger seat, and then put his seat belt on.

**EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**

Arriving at Rampart, Johnny parked the Rover and made his way to the emergency room.

The first person he met was Dr. Early, who wore a smile on his face.

"Johnny…good job on that cardiac case."

The paramedic looked at the doctor with a somewhat surprised expression.

"You mean he made it, doc?"

Nodding his head, the doctor's smile broadened.

"Yes, he sure did. He's upstairs in the ICU. He'll probably need surgery, but for now we are monitoring his condition very closely. He was lucky that you were right there. It's not very often that someone has a heart attack, and a paramedic is that close. Were you there on a date? Or…just grabbing a bite with the guys?"

"It…it was a date."

"And how did it go?" Joe asked curiously, well aware of the young man's track record.

"Fine," replied Johnny nodding his head. "But we decided that it might be better just to be friends."

"Friends?" Joe repeated.

"Yeah. Look, I'm beat. I'll see ya later, doc. Thanks for the good news."

Dr. Early watched with fascination as Johnny walked away from him. He had known Johnny for a number of years, and had never known the younger man to JUST be friends with any woman, except Dixie.


End file.
